The 2016 King John School dance show took place over the span
of two days on the 9th and 10th of February. It involved
a range of students from all over the King John School and was the sassiest,
classiest, performance to ever take to the KJS stage. FYI: we had never seen a
King John dance show before, so we had no idea of the practical and artistic
masterpiece about to be laid out in front of us.
The show opened big, with the year 11 girls dance routine to
Madcon’s cover of “Beggin’”. Since this was the last time the year 11’s would
be performing they gave it their all, and their passion for the arts really
showed. The girls’ 5 years of experience in KJS dance and added extracurricular
dance activities outside of school, displayed truly the amount of talented
individual GSCE dance students there were, as well as demonstrating their
co-operation with one another as a group since both the choreography and timing
were on point. This was then followed by a number of performances from the rest
of the years featuring a variety of songs from many different decades. It was
clear that the dance staff had put in a lot of effort and hard work as the
standard was so high.
One act in particular that stood out in the first half was
the year 9 ensemble performance to Will.I.Am’s “Bang Bang”. The costume and
props used complimented the routine very well, as the bright red, sparkly top
hats were incorporated well, to enhance the visuals of the piece. The routine
itself was very flashy and big, which, in turn, made it very memorable; along
with the fact that the students of the piece worked together so effortlessly,
only adding to the chemistry that the students had gained from the experience.
Despite this show being part of many students’ final exam
grade, it was made clear to the whole audience that every one of the students genuinely
enjoyed performing, and that to them the dance show was less of an exam, and
more of an influential experience. This paid off as this funky, and lively vibe
really heightened the audiences mood and attitude.
All the audience thoroughly enjoyed the show, all around us
we heard proud gasps and cheers during all dances- whether it be a moving,
expressional dance piece, or an upbeat club jam with energetic dance breaks and
acrobatics- there was something for everyone.
Overall, the dance show has been the highlight of King John’s
2016 dance history. The participants gave it their all as it was their chance
to show what they were made of to the school. The dances were intriguing,
whether it is upbeat or contemporary there was always an artistic style in them
that really showed through. The work of the teacher and staff who worked hard
to get structure is very appreciated, as well as the underrated tech team who
made the show shine.
